The present disclosure relates to a portable wireless electroshock device.
In recent years, there has been growing social unrest over law enforcement's use of lethal force against unarmed citizens. Thus, a growing demand exists for less-lethal technological alternatives in order to incapacitate aggressive, violent, combative, or high-risk subjects who pose a risk to law enforcement, military, corrections, private security, licensed citizens, and/or the public.
Conventional conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) generally have two operative mechanisms to create a physiologically effective electric shock impulse, which interferes with superficial muscle functions and/or causes short term pain to the target. The first mechanism is a “stun gun,” which induces a pain shock within the local receptor nerve endings in the surface layers of the tissues and muscles of the target. This is typically accomplished by contacting two terminals of an electrode to the target, which requires a user to be in close proximity to the target. The second mechanism is an Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) device, which is designed to overcome the skeletal musculature of the target via penetration of current pulses into deep muscle layers. This is typically accomplished by firing projectiles that facilitate a shock via thin conductive wires in electrical contact with a barbed dart, which penetrates the target.
Conventional EMD devices only allow for a limited number of shots or rounds before the cartridges are expended—typically between one and two shots can be fired before a new cartridge is required. This can pose a major risk to law enforcement and/or other users if the limited ammunition does not fire properly or make full contact with the target. In scenarios such as these, officers might then require alternative means of force, such as lethal weapons and/or bludgeoning batons to protect themselves from a hostile target. A limited number of shots also prevent users from being able to use the EMD device on multiple targets, such as in scenarios where crowd control is required.
Additionally, the tethered barbed darts of EMD devices that puncture the target are, by their design, invasive and may need to be surgically removed from a target. Upon removal, the tethered barbed darts pose a blood-borne pathogen disease risk to others. Moreover, the tethered barbed darts are considered medical sharps and must be disposed of as bio-hazardous waste.
Conventional EMD devices can at times be inaccurate. This inaccuracy is partly by design because the two pronged darts are necessarily ejected away from the EMD device in two slightly different directions, usually between 6 to 8 degrees. The tethered barbed darts must hit the target at some distance apart from one another in order to avoid electrical arcing between the barbed darts themselves, which may result in failure to cause a shock to the intended target. Inaccuracy can lead to unintended puncture wounds to vital areas such as a target's eyes, face, head, throat, chest area, groin, genitals, breast, or known areas of pre-existing injury.
A third, lesser-used operative mechanism for CEWs includes the use of conductive fluid to create a physiologically effective electric shock impulse. Conventional conductive fluid CEWs, also known as wireless electrical weapons (WEWs), are limited in that the devices use multiple fluids stored in separate containers, adding unnecessary complexity and modes of failure to the device. Additionally, conventional WEWs require the user to wear an inconvenient earth-ground coupling wire, making them less user-friendly and adding additional modes of failure.
The conductive fluid compositions used in conventional WEWs also pose problems. For example, a conventional conductive fluid composition containing a conductive material such as semi-powdered silver can corrode when in contact with rubber gaskets that are used as liquid seals in WEW designs, forming silver sulfide if left in contact for extended periods of time. Silver can also react with chlorine in water-based conductive fluid compositions, causing tarnish. This diminishes the conductivity of the fluid, may cause leakage in the device, and can clog filters and nozzles. Thus, the device's overall effectiveness is diminished over time. Another conventional conductive fluid composition contains mercury, which poses health and environmental risks.
The art recognizes the need for a portable wireless electroshock device that is capable of incapacitating and/or impeding the locomotion of a human or animal target without the need for tethered barbed darts. The art also recognizes the need for a portable, reliable and user-friendly wireless electrical weapon.